An official from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is reportedly taking on a senior role overseeing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), giving DOGE more authority over an agency that it has worked to dismantle.

The announcement came in an email from Peter Marocco, a leading figure in terminating the majority of USAID’s humanitarian grants in his role as the agency’s deputy administrator, the Associated Press reported.

Copies of Marocco’s email circulating on social media largely align with the AP’s reporting. 

Marocco announced his return to the State Department in the email and said that “effective immediately,” Jeremy Lewin would assume the role of deputy administrator for policy and programs at USAID and as chief operating officer.

Lewin was identified as a DOGE staffer by Bloomberg and as part of a team earlier working to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Marocco is going to the State Department as director of foreign assistance. 

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Musk and DOGE likely acted unconstitutionally in their efforts to shutter USAID. Another federal judge ruled earlier this month that President Trump overstepped his constitutional authority in the initial foreign aid freeze.

The State Department confirmed that two political appointees will assume the responsibilities of USAID deputy administrator, but did not name Lewin or any other individual as the appointments. 

“Pete is returning to the State Department full time as Director of Foreign Assistance, an indispensable role in aligning all USG foreign assistance with the President’s priorities,” a State Department Spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. 

“During his two months at USAID, Pete oversaw a comprehensive review of programs and identified roughly 1,000 that were deemed essential.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced earlier this month the termination of approximately 5,200 USAID programs, or 83 percent of the organization’s work, and the preservation of 1,000 programs – although court filings put the number of terminated programs higher and those preserved at around 500. The State Department said Rubio will continue as acting USAID administrator.